There is little doubt about the expanding role psychological assessment plays in science, business, government, and society. This is evident through the increased visibility of traditional tests across a variety of settings, from schools to social media. There are myriad reasons for this, including greater emphasis on evidence-based practice in policymaking, medicine, and education, as well as growing evidence for the economic benefits of effective measurement. Such increasing evidence is a catalyst for investigation of wider applications of sophisticated psychometric approaches beyond traditional environments for these tools. Given rapid uptake of internet-driven data sources, this potential is not fixed to a single location. Instead, it requires approaches that are reliable and sufficient for translation across borders, domains, cultures, and populations. These are all made possible with new technologies and techniques developed specifically to meet the growing demand, particularly including item response theory and methods for capturing data via social media. While this is also a challenge for researchers, with each obstacle exists tremendous opportunity to advance the science as well as the application. This includes appropriate methods for cross-border assessment, improved efficiency of data collection, validation of cross-cultural measurement, contemporary modelling of testing batteries, utilisation of mobile technology, capitalising on Big Data and social media, sophisticated approaches for addressing missing data, and improving accessibility of messages for the general public. Capitalising on these further creates the potential to train a new generation of advanced psychometricians able to deliver complex concepts to many audiences, not solely to experts in the field. The Research Topic “Advancing Methods for Psychological Assessment Across Borders” includes a collection of papers aimed at clarifying protocols for testing different measures and measurement techniques when comparing between multiple countries. Importantly, the Research Topic is aimed specifically at highlighting work conducted by junior researchers. Manuscripts in this Research Topic published as “Protocol” articles present measures, rather than presenting research findings) and are not extensive. The reviewers provided feedback on the Protocols to promote high quality research, with a direct impact on the future of the research. Authors of these Protocols were requested to submit final manuscripts on the outcome of the Protocols. Key research questions: What is the validity and reliability of using mHealth applications for new applications of traditional tests? What approaches to items address social desirability for online data? How can large, multiple test platforms be validated in international samples? What opportunities are there for new methods in traditional settings? What are new areas for psychological assessment? What individual characteristics that influence measurements when testing across borders? Key methods: Quantitative assessment in schools IRT mHealth and HRQoL Assessment in Sports Psychology Cross-cultural Assessment Neuropsychological assessment Mobile testing Social media and Big Data Computer adaptive testing
There is little doubt about the expanding role psychological assessment plays in science, business, government, and society. This is evident through the increased visibility of traditional tests across a variety of settings, from schools to social media. There are myriad reasons for this, including greater emphasis on evidence-based practice in policymaking, medicine, and education, as well as growing evidence for the economic benefits of effective measurement. Such increasing evidence is a catalyst for investigation of wider applications of sophisticated psychometric approaches beyond traditional environments for these tools. Given rapid uptake of internet-driven data sources, this potential is not fixed to a single location. Instead, it requires approaches that are reliable and sufficient for translation across borders, domains, cultures, and populations. These are all made possible with new technologies and techniques developed specifically to meet the growing demand, particularly including item response theory and methods for capturing data via social media. While this is also a challenge for researchers, with each obstacle exists tremendous opportunity to advance the science as well as the application. This includes appropriate methods for cross-border assessment, improved efficiency of data collection, validation of cross-cultural measurement, contemporary modelling of testing batteries, utilisation of mobile technology, capitalising on Big Data and social media, sophisticated approaches for addressing missing data, and improving accessibility of messages for the general public. Capitalising on these further creates the potential to train a new generation of advanced psychometricians able to deliver complex concepts to many audiences, not solely to experts in the field. The Research Topic “Advancing Methods for Psychological Assessment Across Borders” includes a collection of papers aimed at clarifying protocols for testing different measures and measurement techniques when comparing between multiple countries. Importantly, the Research Topic is aimed specifically at highlighting work conducted by junior researchers. Manuscripts in this Research Topic published as “Protocol” articles present measures, rather than presenting research findings) and are not extensive. The reviewers provided feedback on the Protocols to promote high quality research, with a direct impact on the future of the research. Authors of these Protocols were requested to submit final manuscripts on the outcome of the Protocols. Key research questions: What is the validity and reliability of using mHealth applications for new applications of traditional tests? What approaches to items address social desirability for online data? How can large, multiple test platforms be validated in international samples? What opportunities are there for new methods in traditional settings? What are new areas for psychological assessment? What individual characteristics that influence measurements when testing across borders? Key methods: Quantitative assessment in schools IRT mHealth and HRQoL Assessment in Sports Psychology Cross-cultural Assessment Neuropsychological assessment Mobile testing Social media and Big Data Computer adaptive testing